On Wednesday we were preparing the camp for hurricane force winds as Ike was expected to pass directly over us. But as the hours passed and Ike's path turned more to the east, headed for Houston, we quickly became a place to escape the storm. The church groups scheduled to stay with us last weekend were all rescheduled clearing the space for evacuees. Some friends and family stayed with us, some previous guests, and even several families who used the camp in 2005 to evacuate from Rita. Over about 5 days, we had over 300 people stay with us, enjoy the breezy weather, the pool, and some good ole fashion AC. About half fled before Ike and the others afterward to find electricity.
Another group of evacuees were those simply looking for a place to sleep. We informed our local motels of our extra rooms and several families were immediately directed our way. For Houstonians fleeing the devastation of Ike, searching hours for a place to sleep into the early morning hours, and being directed to some camp several miles off the beaten path, it was quite an adventure. Several of us stayed up all night Friday and Saturday giving directions to the wary and assisting them to their rooms. They were very relieved to find a room, but a bit hesitant as to where and what it was. We're not the typical Best Western on the side of the highway. But after a good night's rest in a very unique hotel room without a phone, TV, or even a key, and a good Tejas breakfast, all reluctance disappeared. All together, we had a wonderful time visiting with old friends and making some new ones.
David Jones, CEO